Monday, August 24, 2009

Me encanta Los Mets

Since I started blogging many people have recommended a number of taco joints worthy of my review and many of these places are in Queens, NY. I (unfortunately) do not make it out to Queens very often, but Saturday night was special.

To honor the World Champion 1969 Mets, the 2009 Mets had a pre-game celebration at Citi Field (the new Shea Stadium). Being a life-long Mets fan I was extremely excited to have a look at the team from way back when, but also the real perk lay in Citi Field's new dining concourse. Hot dogs, pretzels, and cotton candy are still available at Citi Field, but you can also opt for Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, Box Frites, and many more higher-end options. My favorite: El VeranoTaqueria.

Eating tacos at a baseball game.

I was in heaven.

And they were good, too! Julia, my dad, and I went for the taco trio -- chicken mole pipian, chile-marinate skirt steak, and carnitas, while my friend, Ellen, kept it simple with two chicken tacos. Each taco came with a different sauce/salsa -- mole, tomatillo, and tomato-chipotle salsa -- and I found that a dip of each sauce made for the most delectable combination.

I'm beginning to find that chicken tacos can get a little boring. Although this particular chicken taco was very good, it did not compare with the flavors of the steak and carnitas taco. There was more depth to the taste of the other meats making them overall more satisfying. I'm hesitant to make such a leap into my love affair with pork, but I do believe that the carnitas taco was my favorite. By far. I enjoyed the texture of the tender pork and the sweetness that was balanced by the kick of the salsa.

These tacos were fantastic, especially considering they were ballpark food. I am uber content with El VeranoTaqueria and will return to Citi Field, not just for the Mets, but for the tacos. Yum.